Chris’s Corner – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

So, this week we’re going to look at another old book to movie adaptation. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

So, in regards to differences there are a few notable ones to talk about. One sequence is when the White Witch demonstrates her power. In the movie she merely transforms the Fox, whereas in the book she transforms a group of narnians all at once. The context for the change to stone is also different, with the movie having her change the fox after hearing of Aslan, compared to the book where she transformed them due to being told of Father Christmas. This is notable because it somewhat downplays her power to change only one versus a group. This somewhat downplays FC’s role in the story, making him seem more minor than he actually is, though he doesn’t show up for to long. The other notable differences are the increases in action within the movie. In the movie the Battle of Beruna is shown more prominently than in the book (similar to the battle in the Hobbit films), and there is also the inclusion of the scene where the kids escape the wolves. While these were less elaborated upon in the books, these scenes serve to insert more action into the movie. Like in the LotR series, I find this to be a good change, as it helps to liven up the story and create greater viewer interest. The changes between the two, outside of the notable differences, are not so great, and in this regard the movie does well.

In regards to actors, they had a great cast. The child actors, portraying the four main characters, did their jobs extremely well, and were great choices for their parts. The actors chosen for the White Witch and Mr. Tumnus were also great choices, and portrayed their characters extremely well. However, I was honestly most impressed with the voice actor for Aslan, they performed masterfully. They perfectly portrayed the strong, regal, and wise lion, at no points did I feel this voice actor did a bad job. Of all the actors in the movie I give him the most applause.

So, as for the rating, I rate this movie as one of the ‘Good’ adaptations. Changes did little to take away from the story, and the actors were excellent. Though there were ways in which it could have possibly been better, it performed well and stands up well when compared to the book. And at the end of the day, that is really all one can ask from a book to movie adaptation.